You're right about that. I would bet just about anything that if his rater and senior rater had reflected reality on Hassan's OER, they would have been told to *re-write* it, and if they had refused to do so, their careers would have stagnated.
"Stagnated" does not even come close to what they would have experienced if they had stuck to reality. I know I experienced significant pressure as a Lieutenant (Platoon Leader) endorsing a career E-6 that was never going to see E-7 if I had anything to do with it. I took crap from both the Platoon Sergeant and the Battery Commander. The E-6 in question was a member of a protected minority. This around 1980 so I know it's only gotten worse in 31 years.